The present invention relates generally to therapeutic and rehabilitative devices for the hand, and more particularly to a device for effective hand rehabilitation following surgery or other injury to a finger.
Post operative treatment for surgery on or other treatment for injury to fingers generally include a period of therapy or other rehabilitative treatment to the fingers and hand in order to restore to the extent possible a full range of muscle strength, coordination and range of movement. Such a procedure may involve use of therapy units such as a finger continuous passive motion machine (e.g., Sutter 5000, Sutter Biomedical Inc. San Diego Calif; or Kintec's Hand and Wrist Unit, Richard's Medical, Memphis Tenn). These machines are effective in enhancing hand rehabilitation in post-surgical, chronic and acute problems involving fractures, crush injuries and infections. In order to use a therapy machine effectively to rehabilitate a finger. suitable finger attachments must be supplied which provide positive and secure yet comfortable attachment to the machine and which allow the desired range of continuous passive motion. Previously existing structures for finger attachments have included simple tape tabs or Velcro.TM. tabs attached to the ends of each finger for receiving an attachment bar for the passive motion machine. These attachment structures have proved to be less than satisfactory in use because tape tabs provide minimal comfort and range of motion, cannot be sterilized and are subject to slippage on the finger in continuous use, and the Velcro.TM. tabs may cause substantial discomfort as a result of the degree of tightening needed to secure them to the fingers, cannot be sterilized and may be prohibitively expensive.
The invention described herein provides a finger attachment structure and method for making same particularly for use with finger continuous passive motion machines used for hand rehabilitation. The finger attachment is made from a low temperature formable plastic or like material custom fitted to one or more fingers, and includes formed loops for receiving an attachment bar for connection to a passive motion machine or the like. The attachment thus formed provides an inexpensive structure readily connectable to the continuous passive motion machine and allows full range of motion of the machine.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved finqer attachment structure for connection to a passive motion machine in the rehabilitation and therapy of the hand and fingers.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for fabricating an improved finger attachment for use in the rehabilitation and therapy of the hand and fingers.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description of representative embodiments proceeds.